The arts are often laden with moral values that reflect life. Paintings depict historical events, music records the spirit of the times, and cinema films the stories of human dilemmas. These mediums of art express the ethos of the human condition.
The movie Doubt challenges our mental and emotional presets of moral values. Our preset values and appearances can lead to a conclusion that might be right or wrong. Perhaps, there’s something in between in moral decision-making. Doubt definitely sets forth a situation in which critical thinking is required rather than jumping to conclusions.
The setting for Doubt is in 1964 at a Catholic school in New York. Sister Aloysius Beauvier, played by Meryl Streep, suspects that Father Brendan Flynn, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, has an unnatural interest in the school’s first young black student, Donald Miller. Sister Aloysius, as principal, rules sternly by fear, while Father Flynn, St. Nicolas’s parish priest, demonstrates a caring and light-hearted nature. The young rookie teacher, Sister James, played by Jamie Adams, tells Sister Aloysius of her perception of Father Flynn’s personal attention to Donald. Sister Aloysius sets her sights on ousting Father Flynn from St. Nicholas without an ounce of proof before getting to the truth of the matter. Amid allegations, Father Flynn stands his ground as the leader and moral voice of the parish. Both appear to seek the moral highground. Doubt stimulates much discussion and debate about moral values and how we make moral decisions.
As the movie progresses the dialogue increases your doubt as to who is right. The protagonists do verbal battle to the end. An example follows:
Father Brendan Flynn: You haven't the slightest proof of anything!
Sister Aloysius Beauvier: But I have my certainty! And armed with that, I will go to your last parish, and the one before that if necessary. I'll find a parent.
Is Sister Aloysius being over protective? Has her perception of Father Flynn’s behavior warranted of allegations? Is Father Flynn simply trying to make the first black student feel included, accepted, and successful? Was Father Flynn innocent with Donald, but guilty with other students? How much influence has Sister James on Sister Aloysius? Do our lenses of life experiences and presets color our perception against fact or evidence? Does perception determine moral reality?
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Great insights. I loved and hated this movie at the same time. I see the priest as scandalous...scandalous in his grace toward others including the legalistic Sister Aloysius. Legalism kills - it killed the priest's ministry to a young boy who needed his grace. In the church today, believers look through "lens" of either legalism or grace and those "lens" determine their moral reality.
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